Parasite-Pledged
Parasite-pledged is the name given to people who overwhelm themselves with divine magic that specifically pertains to nature, such as through druidism. Clerics of nature-based deities are more likely to become faith-forfeit than parasite-pledged. Primarily, it is druids or others who fully try to embody the power of the wild primacy of nature magic that become parasite-pledged when their very magic becomes too much for them to handle. By trying to control the powers of nature when they could not, they find themselves controlled by nature itself, their bodies overtaken by parasitical magic and plant growth. Causes It is impossible to become parasite-pledged simply by living in the wild or surrounded by nature magic, as divine magic does not have the same mutating properties as arcane Chrono. One might find themselves host to a naturally-occurring parasite, but it is not the same as becoming parasite-pledged. The parasite-pledged attempt to derive more power from nature than they can control by trying to cast a spell of a higher level than they "should," given their current abilities. Explanations for why this results in becoming parasite-pledged vary, but the most common theories involve views of nature as a god in and of itself, and consequently, trying to draw on nature's power too much damages one's connection to it. Another common theory is that by opening one's mind too much to nature magic, the resulting power flows too strongly in the individual, similar to becoming arcane-addled, and it cannot be shut off after. Effects The parasite-pledged are fully conscious and even able to speak normally throughout the process of becoming parasite-pledged. As such, early stages of being parasite-pledged may appear to be deceptively harmless, especially if the onset of the parasitical growth takes a while. However, their body becomes progressively more and more overgrown with various parasitical vines and mushrooms, or other types of vegetation, such as cacti in desert areas. The most horrific cases have had writihing, twitching vines busting forth from their bodies, or mushroom spores taking root in their lungs and impairing their breathing. As time goes on, the plants become gradually more and more autonomous, influencing the individual's behavior in such a way that it will preserve the growth of the parasitical plants, such as forcing them to bury themselves so that the plants can sink their roots into the soil. Death comes much more swiftly for the parasite-pledged than arcane-addled or faith-forfeit even if they are prevented from this destructive behavior, as the plants will actively siphon nutrients from their host's body if they are not tended to properly. Because of this, the long-term effects of being parasite-pledged have not been documented; most die within a year of becoming parasite-pledged. In Culture Despite the horrors of becoming parasite-pledged, some cultures or groups view it as a fortunate sign of being found worthy by nature gods. Alternately, they might see it as a way of appeasing the wilds around them by having particular people "relinquish" themselves over to nature by means of ritual sacrifice. As a result, they may force specific "chosen ones" to become parasite-pledged and leave their mangled, overgrown bodies for nature to "reclaim," much to the horror of any who stumble on these corpses. Category:Terms Category:Magic Category:No Spoilers